Good Game
by Xibrei
Summary: Piper challenges Stork in a game of chess that does not exactly go as planned.


I decided to write another short story with the same end-effect featured in The Bet.

**"Good Game"**

* * *

At Stork's caution, the Condor was grounded on a nearby friendly terra after Stork overheard a weather report forecasting a thirty percent chance for a blizzacane in the area. A combination of rain, snow, and hail bombarded the carrier's windows as the Storm Hawks safely resided inside. To the team's misfortune, Stork and the forecast were right.

Piper walked aimlessly throughout the corridors of the carrier while holding a thin box underneath her left arm. Boredom quickly took over the group soon after landing and the majority decided to sleep through the storm. She couldn't. Even though it was impossible to tell night or day within the storm, Piper knew it was midday because there wasn't an ounce of fatigue in her. Hoping that the occasional thunder would keep him wide awake, Piper wandered into the bridge looking for Stork.

She found Stork relaxed against a chair. His head was nodded back with a hardcover copy of _Lucid Nightmares and You!_ solidly planted on his face.

_It figures,_ Piper thought. A low rumble echoed outside, but it only succeeded in making Stork perk his ears and mutter in his sleep. Piper sighed. There was nothing to do until the storm outside subsided. She tiptoed into the room to get closer to Stork, but a large shockwave from the storm jolted the ship as well as Stork. He and the book went flying onto the ground. He got up and noticed Piper with the box.

"Is something wrong?" he asked.

"Hey Stork, do you want to have a battle of wits?" Piper blurted out. The boredom was killing her.

Piper casually planted the dusty box on the table. Stork watched with curiosity and fear as she opened it, revealing its contents: an old chess set.

Piper winked. "Wanna play a game of chess?"

Stork raised an eyebrow. "Did you ask Finn first?"

Piper laughed. Then she realized he was serious.

"Finn isn't exactly the chess type," she said.

"Aerrow? Junko?"

Piper rolled her eyes. "Sleeping."

Stork sighed and looked outside the bridge window into the miserable storm and then seated himself across from Piper, who was also seated. "I should warn you. I'm not exactly a brilliant strategist."

Piper smiled. "Don't be so modest, Stork! You'll never win if you never try."

_You also won't suffer a humiliating defeat, _Stork thought to himself as Piper set up the pieces. He looked down at the old chess set and noticed a theme. On Piper's side were two terra models serving as rooks and once notable members of the Sky Council and Free Atmos. His eyes fixated on the two sky knight models: a young Harrier of the Rex Guardians and a piece that featured a strange likeness to Aerrow. What drew his attention the most was one of the Atmosian pawns: a person bearing a similar likeness to the Dark Ace.

Stork's side, however, was less spectacular in his mind: Cyclonia. He didn't immediately recognize the two terra rooks, and the Cyclonian models were faceless for the most part. The detailed sky knight models were replaced with generic soldiers clad with red paint. Within the mass of pieces was a tall—and heavily damaged—king piece. The spot next to it was empty.

"Where's the queen?" Stork asked. "And why do I have to be the Cyclonians?"

Piper checked the box and tossed him the only remaining model: a young girl. "Use this," she said.

Stork chuckled. "How old is this set?"

Piper checked the box but could not find any dates or timestamps. Stork picked up a Talon soldier and prepared to move it, only to have his hand slapped by Piper. Stork quickly returned the piece and withdrew with a hiss.

"What was that for!?" Stork complained, rubbing his hand and checking it for signs of damage.

"I go first, silly," Piper clarified, pointing at her side.

Stork suspiciously eyed the board. "Oh. I knew that. I was just testing you!"

Piper laughed and made her starting move with the Dark Ace pawn. Piper couldn't help but express an evil smile. After all, she _was_ the team's tactician. She already thought out the five moves and contingencies. Her plan was quick and efficient, and she couldn't wait to see the look on his face when she would proudly announce "checkmate".

Stork, however, did not see her insidious grin. He was busy staring blankly at the board. Underneath the table were his empty hands, occasionally twitching as he thought.

"Your move," Piper whispered. Stork continued to stare, but this time, his green face slowly paled. His view alternated between the board and her face.

"Stork, the opening move won't be the end of the world!" she assured.

Stork nodded and moved his hand over the king. Piper was ready to reprimand him again, as he could not move the king piece for the first move. As she opened her mouth, Stork flicked his finger at the king, and the ancient model toppled to the ground and broke. Piper was in shock. Her brilliant plan would never be enacted.

"I give up," Stork announced with a slight nervousness. "You've won."

"C'mon, Stork!" Piper said, annoyed that she wouldn't be able to execute her secret tactics. "You didn't even start!"

"But I lost!" the merb assured.

Piper motioned at the virtually untouched board. "How!?"

Stork smiled at her as if he was waiting for her to say that, and his two hands went to work on the board, rearranging each piece on each side for each step of the game that never was.

"For the first move, you move there, and I move here," Stork began, moving the pieces as Piper watched. "Then you'd move this sky knight piece here, and I would move this piece here…"

Stork continued to play out the game for both sides, and then an empty, sinking feeling hit Piper. She soon realized that Stork was indeed playing the game—_her_ game. He was playing out _her_ plan to perfection. _Her secret plan._

"Now as you can see," Stork continued, showing the board that is clearly in Piper's favor, "I lost to you."

Piper was speechless. The grinning merb and rose from his seat and stretched out his right hand to her.

"This is the part when you shake my hand and say 'good game' so I don't feel so bad about loosing."

* * *

When Stork concedes, he wins.


End file.
